Creately is a collaborative diagramming and design software used by teams around the world to communicate more effectively. Creately lets users invite team-members and clients to collaborate on flowcharts, mind maps, UML diagrams, software designs, wireframes and business diagrams easily. Loaded with a large selection of smart objects and ready-made templates, Creately offers unlimited possibilities with the types of diagrams that can be created. Creately is offered as a web-based application with an intuitive UI and built in collaboration features.FeaturesA Whole New Level Of Easy - We've put in a ton of great features, but kept the interface simple and neat. Our smart objects and stencils come with contextual features that only appear when you need them. And all this goodness right in your Internet browser.Instant Collaboration - Comment, Share, Email, Publish and Export your online diagrams and designs right from Creately. And we're not just talking about JPGs here - you can export to PDF or XML to take your data out and more.Multiple Revision Support - With Creately's multiple revision support you'll never lose your work. Collaborators will have their changes saved on a new version separately.Growing Base of Design Objects - Our smart objects have built-in behaviour and understand why they are on the canvas. With smarts objects for business, design and technical diagrams, you can do more with less.Unlimited Access to Shapes - You've got access to the A-Z of image. You can look up images not just from the Creately library, but also from Google Images & IconFinder.com.Diagrams With Smarts - Now your diagrams and designs are not just pictures but data driven visual representations. Enter and export text or data from your designs to bring your designs to life. Update the data in your designs and watch your designs evolve.http://creately.com/video
Limited and slow support, serious issues with licensing
cgberardi
Pros
Cheap - and the support shows it.
Cons
Support takes a day and sometimes days to respond. When they do, it's clear they have not read the previous inputs to the ticket, including their own. Therefore, the solution is taking an agonizing length of time. In fact, nearly two months so far - and I still have not been able to use it despite multiple re-installs, Adobe Air updates etc.
You cannot directly enter the license, it must be retrieved from their servers; there is a problem with this and if so, then you cannot utilize the product.
Summary
It looks like a nice program in the demo videos - but, if you are hoping to use this product in a business environment, the support is unacceptable. There appear to be unresolved issues with licensing and installation - at least a 2 month problem for me.
Terrible, awful
juanUser
Pros
None, absolutely zero
Cons
-Hard to find items
-Hard to modify relationships
-Logging in is extremely difficult
Summary
It's hard to find the right items you need for flow charts. We had to get the right box from another section, which then wouldn't give us the association we needed. We struggled with it for far too long.
One of the worst mind-mapping & flow charting programs
GB123456
Pros
Absolutely none
Cons
- Very buggy/glitchy.
- Very expensive for what it tries to deliver - a rip off.
- Sloppy graphics, very simplistic, shapes with edges misaligned, inconsistent sizes of all shapes, difficult to get images and text in the places you want, it can do weird things like randomly disappear text or randomly flip text upside down.
- Data doesn't always get saved, even when it says it has saved, so you can discover the next time you start the program that it's reverted to an earlier version and you've lost all your work.
- Give feedback to developers that is ignored and glitches are never fixed even though they say they'll "look at fixing it in the next upgrade".
Summary
I regret buying this piece of rubbish. I have used a number of different mind-mapping and flow charting programs - creately has got to be one of the worst.
The best diagraming application online!
hiraash
Pros
- Great collection of features. Very usable
- Has desktop version for offline use.
- Works everywhere like Evernote!
- Can embed interactive viewer in pages.
- Has lots of templates available
- Has a free version as well
Cons
- No mobile version.
- Runs on flash and cant see in the iPad
Summary
One of the best diagraming solutions I have used. being able to use online and offline and share as well seamlessly is pretty amazing.
Easy and powerful diagramming for my business
weblocust
Pros
* Can embed the diagrams in our intranet wiki.
* Collaboration is really easy and controllable.
* Don't have to email files to clients any more - just invite them to the diagram or project.
* The template community allows us to get a running start with each diagram
* iPhone mockup shapes
* Friendly customer service
Cons
* Must upgrade to a paid account for the premium features - but for a business probably worth it.
Summary
Creately has been a great tool for my business. It helped me get all those little things done and polished as well as helping with the larger projects. One of the biggest changes was working with our clients, we no longer have to email them files and hope that they have Visio, they just login for free and add their comments to the diagrams.
We have also embarked on a documentation update to systematize the business processes. Things are so much clearer with diagrams as part of the documentation, and now it can be put easily online and it seems to stay up to date as we change the diagrams. Simple.
Excellent app for diagramming
ramishkad
Pros
-Has both online and desktop versions. Can sync diagrams between these versions.
-Good value for money.
Cons
-Nothing so far
Summary
Awesome Diagramming Tool, Visio Killer
nsillk
Pros
* Support all diagram types, they even have support for Gantt charts
* Fully web based, access your diagrams from anywhere in the world
* Real time collaboration, excellent for software teams
* Many templates, even some funny ones
* Excellent resource articles, which I think is available to anyone
* Excellent support( hint- use their Twitter and Facebook accounts)
* Integrated Google Image search
* One click drawing of connected objects ( awesome time saver )
Cons
* Flash based, so not working in some mobile phones
* Diagrams drawn from free accounts are public, they do provide private secure diagrams for a small fee
Summary
Excellent diagrams tool and definitely a great alternative to Microsoft Visio. Drag and drop interface is very easy to use and one click ability to draw connecting object make diagramming fun and easy. The free account is more than enough for the average user looking for a quick diagram, but the personal plan is very reasonable compared to software like Visio